Collapsible gate



July 23, l929- J. R..JAct:KsoN, JR

COLLAPS IBLE GATE Filed March 18, 1927 III uwwvlll llvllllUHHlllllHllllll Illilllllxll lll III l l l I l v l l I I l l l l l l l l I l l l l I xlhuu fr@ vena Jang/T772 R. Jani/i: 5022 JZ', 5m7- LWL? g/ Patented July 23, 1929.

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JOSEPH R. JACKSON, JR., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO A. B. SEE ELE- VATOR COMPANY, INC.,'OF vNEW YORK, 1\T. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

COLLAPSTBLE GATE.

Application filed March 18, 1927. Serial No. 176,446.

stantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. l with theV 15 gate collapsed;

Fig. 5 isa vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 illustrating in'detail the lower end of one of the supporting members of the gate; and

Fig. 6 is atransverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 showing the method of connecting a pair of cross links with a supporting member.

In the particular embodiment of my in- 25 vention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the drawings is agate comprising a series of spaced uprightvmembers v 1 each composed of spaced channel-like elements 3 and 4 arranged with their open faces toward each other. The upper extremities of said channel elements are separated by a roller 5 rotatably mounted between said elements to roll along the top of a track 7 Awhich supports said channel elements and by pasing between them, preventsthe upright members from twisting or turning.

The track 7 is Vsupported at opposite ends upon the door frame 9 in any appropriate manner. The lower ends of the upright members 1 are'pro'perly spaced by filler blocks 11 secured between the lower extremities ofthe elements 3- and 4. Each ller block has a downwardly extending foot 13 arranged to travel in a groove 15 formed in the threshold 17 of the door, thus properly guiding said members during their movements along the track 7.

The members 1 are operatively connected by means, such for example as links.l which are designed to maintain said members in parallel relation particularly during their lateral movements but allow the several members of the series to be moved succes# sively and independently for portions, at least, of their travel from open to folded 'two pairs of links 19 and 21, one pair being positions and from folded to open positions.

By reason of the Vabove arrangement the upright member shown at the extreme right of Fig. 1 may be moved along the track 7 to the position shown in dotted lines in said ligure against the second upright member thereof without imparting movement to the latter until contact between the two has taken place, then the first two members will move along said track together until the second contacts with the thirdand so on until all of the upright members have been moved from the positions shown in Fig.'1 to the positions occupied thereby yin Fig.`2. This permits the gate t-o be started toward l0 its folded position progressively from one if to another position or station thereof or by the movement of only a small part thereof rather than by initial movement of the entire structure, which latter type of'operation` would require the inertia of the entire number of gate sections to be overcome at the start. k

To the above end I provide between each adjacent pair of upright members 1 at least arranged near lthe upper ends vof the supporting members and the other pair being near the lower ends thereof. The links 19 and 21 are pivotally connected together. at 23 and each ylink is in turn pivoted at 25 to an upright member 1. A convenientarrangement of the pivotal connections 4for the links 19 and 21 will be seen in Fig. 6, wherein the studs forming the pivots 25 are shouldered at opposite end 26, forming a body having a length suficient to space the two elements 3 and 4 of the upright mem# ber 1 the desired distance apart and thereduced ends 27 and 28 are respectively riveted or secured in any appropriate mannerV to said elements 3 and 4. The pivots 25 for all intermediate upright members l constitute pivots fortwo links, namely the ylinks 19V and 21, while the studs 25 ofthe endmost 100 supporting members support but a single link. y

To further assist in maintaining the members 1 in the `aforesaid parallel relation, means are provided for causing the links 19 105 and v21 of the upper andlower sets to move in unison. For Athis purpose I providea connecting link 29 between the pivot 23 of the upper pair of links and the like pivot 23 of the lower pair thereof,'said connecting link .11:0

29 lying parallel with and between adjacent upright members l. The link 29 is arranged to move vertically relatively to said upright membersr when said links 19 and 21 are swung from one position to another during the opening and folding of the gate, or from the positions occupied thereby in Fig. 1 to those shown in Fig. 2.

Cushioning means are arranged between the various members of the gate to lessen noise due to impact between adjacent members during the folding or collapsing of the gate. In this connection I provide resilient collars 31, one of which encircles the upper end of the rod 29 near the pivot 23 and another vof said collars encircles the said rodv near the lower end thereof, said collars being thick enough to engage the adjacent edgesVA of the members 1, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2', when said upright members are moved into closed relation. It is however to be understood that the invention is not limited to this type and arrangement of cushioning means.

In all gates of the collapsible type where lthere are spaces between movable elements which widen and' narrow as the gate is opened or closed, there is danger of persons being crowded or pushed against them and their clothing caught and torn between the. contracting members.` To guard against this I have provided a series of plate sections 33 arranged along they exposed side of the gate in overlapping relation to. each other so as to fold with the gate. In'the present example the plates 33 are carried respectively by the movable members 1 to-which they are secured by screws 35. y

In Fig. 1 the right hand member 1 being the movable edge of the gate, constitutes the support; for the first section 33, the second member V1 from the right carries the second section 33 and so onl throughout the series, each of said plates having its free edge 37 directed toward'y the left in said figure or toward the non-movable member 39 at the left hand end of the gate so that when the gate Y is wide open none of said plate sections willl Yeo protrude beyond the movable edgeJ ofY said date.

D It will-be apparent that by reason ofthe overlapping of the plates 33 said plates must be supported at different distances from theirsupporting members, andy to accomplish this said plates are offset from said supporting members by separators 41, 42, 43 andl 44 interposed respectively between saidpl'ates and' their supporting members. Y The separator 41which is, interposed between the plate 33 of' the right hand' supporting member, is the thickest, as this plate is theV outermost plate' of the series measured laterally from the plane, ofthe members 1,'while the successiveseparators 42, 43 and 44', countingil'eftwardr from 41 (see Figs. 3f and 4') gradually vsired point along the edge of said plates,

but herein I have shown three suchl rollers, see Fig. 1. It is however to be understood that the invention is not limited to the part-icular type nor to the specific arrangement of cushioning means herein shown.

The plates 33 are shown as extending vertically only part way of the height of the gate, said plates being placed at points where the arms of bystanders would most likely come in contact with the gate, but here again the invention is not limited to the lengths nor proportion shown nor to the particularnumber of sections herein represented, as the upright gate members might be i-ncreased ordecreased in number to conform to openings of different widths.y Furthermore, said sections 33 are shown herein as made of plain sheets of material, such for example as metal, although this form has been shown merely for convenience. i

The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown.

Claims. f n

1. A gate comprising a` series of spaced laterally movable members, at least two pairs of links interposed between adjacent laterally movable members to allow said members toY be moved successively, and constituting the sole connections between said members, means for connecting said pairs of links together to cause said links to move in unison and, to maintain said members in parallel relation, and'v overlapping guard plates carried respectively by said laterally movable members and' extending rearwardly from theirpsupporting members parallel therewith.

2. A folding gate comprising, in combination, a series of laterallyl movable gate members, means interposed between' said gate members to maintain the latterpparallel.` during folding and unfolding movements of said gate, guard means including overlap` ping perpendicular plates secured to said gate members, and anti-friction means forl separating said guard means during their folding movements. K

3. A folding'gate comprising, in combination, a series of laterally movable gate members, means interposed between said gate members to maintain thelatt'er parallely dur'- ing folding andA` unfolding movements of said gate, guard means including overlapping plates secured in perpendicular relation to said supporting members, and anti-friction means arranged between adjacent guard members.

4. A folding gate comprising, in combination, a series of laterally movable gate members, means to guide said members laterally, means including upper and lower sets of links and rods connecting said links to maintain said gate members in a state of parallelism, and cushioning means including resilient bands encircling said links to prevent them from striking together.

5. A collapsible gate comprising, in combination, a series of upright laterally movable gate members, a track from which said members are suspended, guide means for the lower ends of said supporting members, means for maintaining said supporting members in parallel relation, guard means for said gate supporting members including overlapping perpendicular plates carried respectively by said gate members and anti-friction means arranged at the rear edge of each f said plates, and in engagement with the next plate of the series.

6. A collapsible gate comprising, in combination, a series of upright laterally movable gate members, a track from which said gate members are suspended, guide means for the lower ends of said gate members, means for maintaining said supporting membersin parallel relation, guard means for said gate members including overlapping plates carried respectively by said gate members, and roller means arranged at the free edge of the outermost plate of each overlapping pair of plates to prevent contact between said overlapping plates.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH R. JACKSON, JR. 

